West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is considering suing the English Football Association after he was cleared of betting charges.
Last year the Brazilian was accused of intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper use of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.
The charges related to four Premier League matches, one in 2022 and three in 2023. The player always denied the charges and his name was cleared this week when an independent regulatory commission found the misconduct charges around the betting breaches not proven.
The games came against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023 and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.
The FA noticed unusual activity with sports betting apps in Paqueta’s homeland of Brazil including 27 individuals linked to the player but he argued there was nothing unusual about him picking up cautions.
It was claimed 542 bets had been placed by 253 different bettors on online casinos – 27 of which could be linked back to the player – with wagers amounting to nearly £50,000 resulting in winnings of over £200,000.
‘Contradictory’ FA Case Against Paqueta ‘Defied Logic’
There was no evidence he had ever discussed betting or yellow cards and the panel unanimously dismissed the four charges, describing the FA’s case as ‘contradictory’ and ‘defying logic.’
The likely explanation for the increased number of bets on whether or not he’d receive a booking is that he spoke to his mother every day and she would pass on vague comments about his mood to customers of her hair salon in Rio de Janeiro.
Former West Ham boss David Moyes and former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg gave evidence in support of the player who is set to receive a hefty compensation package in damages.
Paqueta missed out on a career-changing move to Manchester City in the summer of 2023 when hit with the charges and a member of his legal team described the financial impact as immeasurable.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
